Washboard



(No Model.)

J. H. an o. T. LAPHAM. WASH BOARD.

No. 491,181. Patented Feb. 7, 189s.

AT1" UBNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. LAPHAM AND OWEN T. LAPHAM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,181, dated February "i, 1893.

Application filed January 14, 1892. Serial No. 18,024. (No model.)

vention is to furnish a wash-board with a back support which gives protection and backing to the rubbing board or plate over its entire back surface between the sides of the frame, and at the same time is so constructed that it affords free drainage for the watersthat accumulates between the front and back boards during use, thus enabling the board to dry out in this otherwise close space and preventing rotting of the parts and the accumulation of foul matter in the said space.

A further object of the invention is to provide a back board which is so constructed that it will accommodate itself within its normal space to all the swell or expansion incident to its being iilled with water, and which may expand or contract without in any way aecting the frame.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wash-board containing our improved back board, and having the front standard of the frame partly broken away and the cross piece cut oi in section flush with the said back board so as to show that the saidback board ts closely between the side pieces and does not extend into them as does the rubbing plate. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved back board alone and detached from the balance of the board. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the board on line x, Fig. l, the object of the view being especially to show the relation of the back board to the sides of the frame.

Arepresents the side bars of the wash-board frame, and B the cross pieces 0f the frame.

C is the corrugated or ribbed rubbing plate, and D the back board. This back board, it will be observed, has several peculiar and novel features nf cnnstrnntinn and :1m-anun..

ment. In the rst place, the board is set in the frame longitudinally instead of transversely, as is customary, and this enables the longitudinal slots d and d to be formed therein in the manner substantially as shown without materially weakening the board. These slots it will be observed, run with the fiber of the wood, and, entering the board at its ends, extend inward past the center so that they overlap eachother. By thus overlapping, the expansion incident toits becoming saturated during washing is absorbed or taken up in the slots and does not communicate itself to the sides of lthe frame. The said board covers closely the entire back of the wash-board between the side pieces A and is held at its ends in the cross pieces B as shown in Fig.- l. Hence if it were not for the overlapping slots d, d which render the back board easily compressible, the swell would come against the side pieces and spring them apart. These slots further more serve the purpose of draining dry'the space between the back and front boards immediately on taking the wash-board out of the tub. The front board or rubbing plate C rests iiatly against the back board, and its corrugations unavoidably ill with water during washing. If no means were provided for draining the water out it would be slow in escaping and soon soften and rot the wood. But by using a board with vertically arranged slots all the corrugations have several outlets traversing them at dierent points and therefore the board is not removed from the water before almost complete drainage occurs. These slots also admit air to dry the wet surfaces, and in consequence the board is protected from decay. The said slots, however, leave a thoroughly firm backing for the rubbing plate, and in this respect the slotted board answers every purpose practically as well as an uncut board would do.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. A wash-board composed of a frame having cross-pieces and a rubbing plate of usual or approved construction, and a back secured in the said cross-pieces by its ends and having its sides free, and slotted in the direction vof the length of the Wash-board, substantially ne rinenril'm.

IOO

2. In a Wash-board a frame having crosspieces and a rubbing plate combined with a Wooden back secured in said frame solely by engagement of its ends with the cross-pieces and slot-ted in the direction of its grain, substantially as described.

3. In a Wash-board, the frame, its crosspieces and corrugated rubbing plate, corn.

bined with a back board fitted between the sides of the frame Without connection therewith and secured by its ends to the cross-pieces and provided with series of parallel slots running crossvvise with relation to the corrugatons of the rubbing plate, substantially as described.

JOSEPH H. LAPI-IAM. OWEN T; LAPHAM.

Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, NELLIE L. MCLANE. 

